RHAPSODY (OF FIRE)

Instead of symphonic "wankery", the band kicks off with a short and atmospheric introduction which is the opener "Dar-Kunor". Even the ballads work quite well such as the beautiful "Old Age Of Wonders" that features some soft female guest vocals or the touching "Son Of Pain" with some great orchestral work and maybe the most stunning vocal performance on the record. Even the piano ballad "Il Canto Del Vento" that features Italian lyrics is not as cheesy as I feared and in fact a quite beautiful song with a great vocal performance. The orchestrations rather remind of Therion or even Dimmu Borgir at some points and not of pointless power metal bands but at the same time the band icluded some soft folk elements. This combination works best in tracks as "The Myth Of The Holy Sword" that also features an epic guitar solo that reminds a little bit of Manowar. That's nothing surprising as the band had signed with Magic Circle Music at the time that has a very close connection to Manowar.

The album's epic track "The Mystic Prophecy Of The Demonknight" is divided into five parts and resumes very well the new strengths of the band on this record. It's surely one of the best if not the best song Rhapsody Of Fire have ever written in their long career. I especially appreciate the folk sounds with the use of violins and the powerful drum play in the first part, the narrative play passages in the second part, the more metal orientated and heavy speed and power metal passages in the unusually brutal third part that even includes some piercing screams and soft growls, the guitar solos that open for the fourth part that includes some very atmospheric passages and the calm ballad tones in the fifth and final part of the epic masterpiece.

There are still some elements that seem very pathetic to me. The fantasy topic and some parts of the lyrics play with too many stereotypes and offer nothing new or innovating in the universe of Rhapsody Of Fire. This album won't win a price for its originality. Some potpourri songs featuring multiple male choir's voices, orchestrations and high pitched lead vocals still give me headaches if I get an overdose of them as in "Bloody Red Dungeons". But this kind of song is so rare to find on this record that it doesn't pull down the final rating by much.

In the end, we have a very epic and powerful record that focuses more on mid tempo tracks, includes some nice folk orchestrations, great narrative passages and overall more creativity than ever. This kind of music might still be too overambitious and overwhelming to some which I would completely understand but in my opinion the band just found the perfect mixture this time and the powerful music creates a lot of images in my mind. The final verdict is that this underrated record is probably the best effort the band has ever released to date and only grows on you as time goes by. There are many passionate details to be discovered over and over again. This is more than music, it's an epic story and worthy of a theatre play or epic movie without sounding too ridiculous as for example Manowar's attempts on this kind of music. It's nothing revolutionary but simply Rhapsody of Fire on the peak of their career and there really isn't much to criticize on here.

Originally published on www.metal-archives.com on November 14th of the year 2011.

Even before the release of "From chaos to eternity", the final album in the epic "Chronicles of Algalord" series, it was announced that Luca Turilli would be leaving Rhapsody of Fire. Great play was made of the fact that the split was amicable, and agreement was reached that both Turilli and co-founder Alex Staropoli would retain the right to use the Rhapsody name. For legal reasons of course, neither party can actually use the name Rhapsody, so Staropoli retained the Rhapsody of Fire title while Turilli formed a new band under the name Luca Tuilli's Rhapsody. We therefore now have a situation similar to that of Barclay James Harvest and Wishbone Ash (and probably what Roger Waters wishes he had done!) where two variants of the band co-exist.

Two other members of Rhapsody of Fire (guitarist Dominique Leurquin and bassist Patrice Guers) moved on with Turilli while drummer Alex Holzwarth initially remained in both bands and plays on this album. It has since been recognised that this arrangement was impractical, so Holzwarth has committed to Rhapsody of Fire (where his brother is also a member) and ex-Statovarius drummer Alex Landenburg has joined Turilli. The line up is completed by new vocalist Alessandro Conti, a trained tenor.

Turilli is adamant that this new release forms the 11th studio album by Rhapsody. It is not a solo album, although he once again is the principal composer, and it is intended to retain the "Film score metal" tenets which prevailed on previous albums while moving on from the fantasy tales on which they were based. There is a loose concept running through this album, with the tracks "Quantum x", "Ascending to infinity", "Dark fate of Atlantis and "Of Michael the archangel and Lucifer's fall" all being "part of a concept related with the theories of the multiversum, the secrets of the Kabbalah and the genetics of human beings". This is though essentially a collection of songs intended to stand in their own right and as such represents a unique Rhapsody album.

That said, in musical terms Turilli stays loyal to all that fans of the band expect. The majestic choirs, the sweeping orchestral passages and the supremely melodic hooks are all as prevalent as they have ever been.

The opening "Quantum X" is slightly less symphonic than the usual Rhapsody opener, with an underlying Eastern feel, but the massed chorale and frantic orchestration reassure us that this is indeed a Rhapsody album. The track acts as a prelude to the title song, a number which musically could have been extracted from any of the previous albums. Conti's voice is similar to that of Fabio Lione, although he can reach higher notes thus adding more drama to the sublime choruses.

Thereafter we have a collection of songs to delight fans of the band who might have thought the party was over. There are no surprises as such, the music is pure Rhapsody throughout.

Other highlights include the 8 minute "Excalibur" which examines the mystique surrounding the weapon rather than the story. Here again, the Hollywood metal on which the brand is founded provides the basis for an piece of epic proportions. At time of writing, "Dark fate of Atlantis" is available as free download from the band's website. As the title might imply, it has the feel of an aquatic "Chronicles of Algalord" track, Turilli's under recognised guitar- work being a feature of the song. "Luna" is quite different to the rest of the album, as it features a male/female vocal duet. The song is a magnificent quasi-operatic ballad which allows Conti do reveal the full extent of his classical background.

The album concludes with the 16 minute, three part "Of Michael The Archangel And Lucifer's Fall", a suite which Turilli claims is one of his best ever compositions. It includes "scientific, esoteric, and religious aspects". While Christopher Lee does not appear on the album, we still have the occasional Lee sounding spoken word such as that which introduces this piece. The three parts which make up the whole contain everything we have come to expect from one of Rhapsody's long numbers. As ever, there is no room of experimentation or improvisation, the arrangement is as tight as every other track. There are though even bigger climaxes, grander orchestrations, and more pompous chorales. It is certainly an impressive finale, and one which will delight those who subscribe to the Rhapsody ethic.

Overall, "Ascending to infinity" is a fine way for the Rhapsody name to be carried forward. While being an obvious new beginning, the album and the band remain loyal to all that has brought us to this point. It will be interesting to see what comes from the other Rhapsody camp who, as Turilli magnanimously suggests, will also be releasing the eleventh Rhapsody album.

After 15 years and nine albums (including one "mini-album") the curtain finally comes down on the epic sagas of Rhapsody (who begat Rhapsody of Fire). While the band are to carry on touring and recording, they have announced that with the departure of Lucca Turilli, their story book albums are complete. Never again will we hear them tell of Lord of the Rings type fantasies, the guest appearances of Christopher Lee as narrator also being brought to an end.

That though is the future, and we have some significant story telling to do to bring things to a satisfactory conclusion first. Thus "From chaos to eternity" represents Turilli's last album with Rhapsody Of Fire, and the conclusion of the Dark Secret saga which began on "Symphony of Enchanted Lands II". In the previous chapter, "Frozen tears of angels", the good guys had a book of dark secrets which the bad guys were after. At the same time, the good guys were after an antidote in the form of the "White Book". Here, they have to locate a couple of stones (which have their own names) which are actually eyes and put them back where they came from.

It is pretty much good news all the way in this final chapter (except for a couple of twists of course) the imaginative ending offering a suitably fanciful and enigmatic conclusion to a unique musical project.

There is little point in going into too much detail on the music of the album. Suffice to say that those who have followed the band thus far will find no surprises here. Highlights include the supremely melodic title track and of course the almost 20 minute five part epic "Heroes of the waterfalls kingdom" which rounds everything off. The orchestration and choral arrangements are as dynamic as ever, especially on the totally over the top closer "Heroes..".

While it makes perfect sense that the band should decide to bring an end to the Saga albums, it is at the same time the end of an era. Rhapsody have graced the music world with a set of albums unparalleled in their imagination and continuity. I can only hope that in time their legacy will gain the recognition it truly deserves. Luca Turilli has announced that he will be pursuing his own projects in the future, and it may be here we will need to look for any further sagas. In the meanwhile, I salute Rhapsody (of Fire) for their incredible achievement.

Footnote ? The limited edition Digipak release of the album contains a wonderfully presented booklet with the final chapter of the tale. It also has a bonus track in the form of a cover of Iron Maiden's Flash of the blade". The version is of course fully competent, but it is superfluous in terms of the album. The track may however be an indication of what we should expect in the future from the band.

Anyone even passingly familiar with Rhapsody of Fire will recognize their blend of symphonic power metal from a mile away, and that also applies to From Chaos to Eternity. Expect symphonic power metal with lush keyboards, operatic vocals, voice narration courtesy of Christopher Lee, lyrics revolving around fantasy-related subjects, and of course plenty of the standard power metal trademarks (fast double-pedal patterns, shredding guitar solos, powerful lead vocals, etc.). Although this may sound extremely clichéd and cheesy (which, in a sense, it is), Rhapsody of Fire manages to deliver the sound in one of the most powerful, professional, and just plain enjoyable formats I've ever heard. Through a journey of well-composed songs, captivating lyrics, and impeccable musicianship, Rhapsody of Fire takes us on a voyage through some of symphonic power metal's finest offerings. The near-20 minute epic "Heroes of the Waterfalls' Kingdom" especially highlights the band's captivating songwriting talents.

From Chaos to Eternity may not be terribly original, but it's sure to be one of the year's best power metal albums. With such excellent compositions, top-notch musicianship, and sleek production, it's hard not to be at least somewhat impressed by this effort. I was personally very satisfied by From Chaos to Eternity and find it to be a highly recommendable purchase for anyone who enjoys some wizards and folklore to infiltrate their stereo from time-to-time. 4 stars seems very appropriate here. Anyone who enjoys Rhapsody of Fire should definitely make sure this finds its way into their collection!

Truth be told, the singer would probably get taken down by the first gnome he ran across back in the day.

The essence of glimmering steel is apparent from the getgo, as the title track immediately pounds the listener with double bass rampages and six string workouts with choirs of men shouting about the coming of war while the lead singer sings in a high register with fists clenched and arms outstretched. It's fast and furious, but with emphasis on the keyboards, it's not all that "heavy". The thunderous wails of trumpet synthesizers have more oomph than the guitar riffs. It's fun though, with a bit of cornball narration thrown in just to add a bit of extra nerdy D&D elements to it.

Epic songs are interspersed with shorter non-metal tunage, including the folksy dancy Elnor's Magic Valley, which could make a man yearn to dance with an elfin pixie that resembles Liv Tyler or Hiromi Uehara. The most impressive, epic, and longest track, Queen of the Dark Horizons, pretty much captures the band in full glory. There's catchy periods and sing-along sections that weave in and out of instrumental showmanship and a general bombast that makes me want to rip off my shirt in glory and buy dangerous and obscure tools at a hardware store because that's what real men do...when not fighting dragons and stuff. There's also a female semi-operatic voice that adds a pretty solid layer of atmosphere within this piece, I'm guessing it's supposed to be the Queen of the Dark Horizons herself. She may be evil, but she can sing.

Tears of a Dying Angel deserves special mention as it's one of those few songs that's just hilarious beyond belief with the long emoting narration (about some ancient tome being opened) during the song's latter half. The narrator is so over the top that even The Moody Blues would blush and leave the room if caught listening to this by their buddies.

I know this album is part of some huge saga involving an emerald sword, but I honestly haven't listened to much else by this group, so I can only judge the album for the music contained within...not whether I'm pissed that my favorite character got eaten by a dragon or whacked by an evil queen. I must say the production works for this effort, and as ridiculous and cheesy as it is, it kinda wound up being a guilty pleasure. The short run time might have helped too...an hour straight of this could send me hurtling towards some indie rock underground "cool" stuff. Yikes.

If there's anything that still surprises me about Rhapsody of Fire, it's that they manage to keep going steady without ever changing their style in any significant way. Since they started out with the debut 'Legendary Tales', Rhapsody's cinematic brand of 'swords and sorcery' power metal has been going strong, occasionally focusing one one aspect more than others on a given record, but essentially making the same music they were making when they first started out. Luckily for the band, Rhapsody executes this style incredibly well, and to date, there hasn't been the overbearing need for them to change who they are in order to stay fresh. 'From Chaos To Eternity' is Rhapsody's third album in two years, and while I would normally tend to expect a band's quality to plummet once they start becoming more prolific, Rhapsody's eighth album 'From Chaos To Eternity' has really impressed me. While there are not necessarily any standout tracks that tower above the others, I would be hard pressed to deny that the band has not released as consistent an album for quite some time.

Apparently wrapping up a massive conceptual saga of the band's that started with their debut, 'From Chaos To Eternity' is a big album for the band. Apart from their speed and epic film score-worthy sound, one of the tenants of Rhapsody Of Fire is their focus on Tolkien- offshoot high fantasy, with which they use to fuel their often narrative lyrics. Although Rhapsody is as sharp as they come when it comes to neoclassical or symphonic power metal, the lyrics have always been cheesy as all hell, and- true to their doctrine of never changing- 'From Chaos To Eternity' is wrapped up in lyrics about rather tired fantasy topics; some conclusion to a multiple-album concept piece that I find difficult to become even slightly interested in. Luckily, the lyrics are the weakest element for this talented Italian band. Musically, the band may never have sounded tighter. Fabio Leone's voice shows no signs of aging, sounding as powerful and soaring as it ever has. There is a focus on this album on the band's neoclassical metal elements, which barrels down to alot of sweeps and arpeggios, courtesy of guitarist virtuoso Luca Turelli. While there is shredding aplenty in the album, the rest of the band keeps up the speed, and the instrumental indulgences never go on too long before getting boring.

A very strong element to Rhapsody's sound here is that of the symphonic arrangements, which are often complex and mesh beautifully into the metal core of the sound. Were it not for the admittedly silly lyrical content, Rhapsody Of Fire could very well stir up some very intense dramatic feelings with their music. Maybe the only sound I hear here that is 'new' is the moderate use of harsh vocals, especially in the song 'Aeons Of Raging Darkness'. The music remains fairly upbeat throughout these parts however; instead of taking any dark route with the screams, Rhapsody ultimately ends of sounding like a counterpart to Wintersun.

Although there are no standout tracks here (this album tends to be relying more on its pleasant consistency than any particularly incredible tracks), the end of the album is graced with a twenty minute epic. Naturally, this made me very excited when I arrived at this part of the album, especially due to the incredible success of one of the band's earlier epics, being 'The Mystic Prophecy Of The Demonknight' from 2006's 'Triumph Or Agony'. Indeed, 'Heroes Of The Waterfalls' Kingdom' is a very powerful work featuring a myriad of changes and different feelings woven into it. While sporting some very strong moments in it though, the closing epic to this album does not feel as if it works as a cohesive composition, instead working better as a series of soundtrack snippets, each to suit a different part of whatever fictional fantasy film Rhapsody are attempting to score here.

And with a few more symphonic flourishes after the metal fury has long since ended, 'From Chaos To Eternity' ends, something of a fitting musical end to this long saga that Rhapsody Of Fire has conjured up for the power metal world since riding out of Italy in the 90's. A very good album overall, although it should be mentioned that there are very few surprises to be had here for anyone that has heard an album by this band before.

When writing a review for this album it is hard to resist the urge to just copy and paste my review for the band's previous album as the music found here is very much more of the same. There are, however, some subtle changes that all of them are to the worse, I must say. After the fabulous and highly original debut album, Legendary Tales, and the good, but less impressive, follow-up, Symphony Of Enchanted Lands, I'm wondering here if the band didn't get lazy during the writing and recording of this third album! Apart from the fact that there is no development as such of the music from previous albums, it also seems to be the case that the lyrics and vocals are deteriorating. It is possible here for the first time to notice a disturbing Italian accent in the vocals and the lyrics are even sillier than before. With song titles such as Holy Thunderforce, Trolls In The Dark, Village Of Dwarfs and Triumph Of My Magic Steel, it is increasingly difficult to take this band seriously!

The melodies are still reasonably strong, but almost nothing here is as good as the material from the previous album which in turn was a step down from the great debut. Once again the instrumental skills are indeed impressive, but I cannot help feel that they are somewhat wasted on these songs. There are again a few spoken word passages that add to the cheesiness of the album.

There are still some good moments and aspects that I find enjoyable, but it adds little to what the band had already given us in the past. Another problem I have with this album is that it lacks variation. There is not enough diversity in terms of moods and tempos for me to keep interested till the end.

A relative disappointment for me and I can recommend this one only for fans and collectors.

After the superb and highly original debut album, Legendary Tales, things started to go wrong already with this follow up - but only slightly so, this is still a good album similar in style to the first one. I do feel though that Symphony of Enchanted Lands is more symphonic in the negative sense of being more pompous and bombastic. They did indeed adopt a somewhat bigger sound with this album, probably as a result of having a larger budget, but it is not adding anything valuable to the music if you ask me. I very much liked the fact that they used a smaller string ensemble (violin, viola and cello) on the debut instead of a full-blown orchestra.

Also the addition of a few spoken word passages (of which the debut was thankfully free) makes this album cheesier in comparison. The storyline is indeed very cheesy and it is not wise of them to draw more attention to it than absolutely necessary! Yet another thing that makes the present album less effective is the prolonged running time. The extra ten minutes or so compared to the debut makes the impact of Symphony of Enchanted Lands less powerful to me. By the end of the album I start to feel that I have heard everything the band has to offer.

Some of the features that I liked very much about the debut are still here though even if to a slightly lesser degree; the folky and medieval influences and the Yngwie Malmsteen's Rising Force-influenced guitar and keyboard play. I personally enjoy the Folk and Neo-Classical Metal aspects of the band much more than the Power Metal aspects (even if I don't mind a bit of progressive Power Metal). Once again both the instrumental and vocal talents and the compositional skills are strong and most of the songs are very enjoyable.

To sum up. This is a good album that is both different from and similar to the debut. In those aspects that it is different it appeals to me less and in those aspect in which it is similar it lacks the novelty of the debut and thus adds little than just more of the same.

I strongly recommend to start with the great debut (and that is all the Rhapsody most people will need, really)

The sheer idea that an Italian Power Metal band could ever capture my attention, let alone win my respect and even admiration, was rather foreign to me before I discovered Rhapsody's 1997 debut Legendary Tales. This proves that having an open mind is important in music. The truth is that Rhapsody is much more than a (sophisticated) European Power Metal band. If one looks beyond the most superficial aspects - like the cover art, song titles, generic genre categorizations etc. - something altogether more interesting, and dare I say progressive, is unveiled. Legendary Tales is heavily rooted in Neo-Classical Metal and it also has many Folk influences. The lyrics are admittedly hard to take seriously, and I have never bothered to get into the story behind the album, but the musicianship is of the highest calibre. Both the instrumental and vocal talents and the compositional skills are highly impressive. I am always worried upon hearing a non- English person singing in English, but I'm happy to hear that there is hardly a trace of Italian accent in the superb vocals of Fabio Lione.

Yngwie Malmsteen's Rising Force is an obvious influence on Rhapsody, not only in the virtuoso guitar work of Luca Turilli, but also in the equally impressive keyboard work of Alex Staropoli (which is partly similar to that of Rising Force's Jens Johansson). Another aspect heavily inspired by Rising Force is the lovely Baroque interludes. The cautious use of a smaller string ensemble (violin, viola and cello) instead of a full-blown symphonic orchestra keeps the sound from becoming too bombastic. But what makes the music of Rhapsody really stand out for me is the very tasteful use of harpsichord, lead violin, recorder and mandolin, all perfectly incorporated into the arsenal of instruments found in more conventional (Prog) Metal. The use of these unconventional elements gives the music a wonderful medieval feel that is omnipresent. It is not the case that these unusual instruments are used only in interludes between wholly conventional Metal songs - no, they constitute a fully integrated part of Rhapsody's sound. There are also some occasional female backing vocals and male choirs. The key to success here is that keep everything to just the right level, never allowing the sound to become bloated. The end result is a strongly measured album full of drama and excitement without ever sounding overdone.

Another strong characteristic of Legendary Tales is its variation without ever compromising coherence. There is a very good balance between ballads and quieter passages on the one hand and fast paced songs on the other, an equally good balance between acoustic and electric instrumentation and also between vocal and instrumental passages. The songs are full of tempo changes and dazzling twists and turns. The compositions are all strong and there is not a single weak moment. There is a very appealing sense of urgency throughout and they never waste a minute but always get straight to the point.

Many would dismiss this music as cheesy (which I suppose I did myself in the past), but I think that this is done with a certain charm and originality that eliminates that problem on this occasion. Later albums by the band would, however, get things wrong in several ways. Together with Kamelot's The Fourth Legacy and Symphony X's The Divine Wings Of Tragedy, Rhapsody's Legendary Tales is my favourite album this vein and highly impressive in its own right.